Activist? Passivist [sic]?

categories: Activism, Guest Bloggers, Nonprofits

Published June 05, 2009 @ 06:12AM PT

texting

When Leigh turned over the reins to bloggers like me and my blog-mates, I joked that she'd be out of a job because we'd end poverty while she was gone. We better hurry! I'm going to take indecent liberties with today's post and ask indirectly related to poverty, important, questions:

Has anyone had a recurring fear that pounding keyboards on blogs and twittering your thumbs off run the risk of stopping the essential outpouring of volunteerism or support for not-for-profits?

Does the Internet contribute to the transition from Activist to Passivist?

I'm no Luddite, relying heavily on technology to keep me connected to my ever-growing world. I've learned how to better utilize my laptop. TechSoup is my best friend. In addition to filming documentaries, I do rudimentary film editing, hooking up my digital video camera and external hard-drive in a rat's nest of cords and wires. I have begun posting to YouTube. I blog (tho my regular blogs, invisible homeless kids and Camper's RVue are sadly neglected right now). I am an avid digital photographer. I edit our website (thanks to my web guru Dan Riefstahl). I do an e-newsletter. I'm on Facebook computer and I'm a novice (unconvinced) twitterer. I have and love my netbook. I'm trying to transition to the Times Reader; the crucial test will be the crossword. Despite my reliance on technology, I have this nagging fear that as we all become 'net addicted and dependent, some critical things will suffer.

Hands-On Service
Many worthwhile programs require volunteers--live bodies to do essential tasks. My perspective is one of running a homeless shelter entirely dependent on volunteers. Virtual volunteers wouldn't cut it. People stuck to keyboards tend to get, er, preoccupied, sometimes forgetting the world out there. NFPs suffering from downward-spiraling donations will be devastated if they lose their volunteer base. Has this been noticed by volunteer-dependent organizations?

Donations
Yes, nonprofit organizations could improve on their web donation appeal. We're figuring that out as we go. But with all the websites someone might peruse, do people become immune to the "donate now" plea? Emails don't seem to do the trick. Emails seem to be on the way out...for some people at least. I'm sure I'm not the only one doing massive deletes when the e-pile gets too deep. I regularly see organizations begging for people to do searches through Freelanthropy and similar opportunities. The skeptic in me says it sounds too good to be true. Is it?

Advocacy
Having spent time over the years in the IL statehouse and US Capitol as an advocate, I've talked to a good number of staffers and legislators. My sense is they're still grappling with e-mail, much less the e-petitions that seem to accompany every issue. Past conversations, not too many years ago, about hand-written (remember those??!) letters vs. form letters, fax vs. email, left me with the impression that technology hadn't quite taken hold in our legislative offices. Any observations pro/con?

Communication
Once a luxury, cell phones are essential. But some people don't answer their phone unless you text them first. Cell phone technology is awesome, as long as it works. I wrestle with the cost, knowing that I can't live without it, but $200 a month (for phone and data card) is a chunk of change. Any good suggestions for avoiding over-spending?

Seems to me that we need help sorting out technology's role in helping/harming the vast and under-appreciated nonprofit community contribution to well-being of our country and world. I'm sure the answers are blowin' in the wind somewhere, but all this blogging keeps me from looking.

photos by the author

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Comments (11)

I was an 'early adopter' of the emerging technologies some time ago. More so, I was an advocate. And I'm still a regularly involved user.
But I also must agree with your expressed doubts and suspicions, as I've actually seen these technologies develop and affect people, pragmatically.
There's a somewhat illusionary effect whereby simply being "plugging in" and "aware" of so much (too much?) can be all too easily mistaken for "involved" -- when that very 'virtual' vicariousness replaces the real thing.

Posted by SlumJack Homeless on 06/05/2009 @ 07:43AM PT
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Yeah, I'm usually onto something and often right, but that's scary. So I hope I'm wrong!

Posted by HEAR US on 06/05/2009 @ 05:48PM PT
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It's a genuine concern - I'm glad you brought it up. Hopefully the blogs we read or some other online application becomes a source motivation - as well as information.

Regarding cell phones - they're not essential yet - I get by very well without one - and I'm still very well connected. I find cell phones invasive. There are plenty of times when I don't/can't communicate with people: at work, at dinner, at the movies, playing a sport... the list goes on. Having a home phone with answering machine, email, facebook, IM etc... allows plenty of routes for people to get in touch with me.

$200 a month to increase my likelyhood of a car accident and be interrupted in a real face to face conversation with someone? No thanks...

Posted by Jeremy Keith Hammond on 06/07/2009 @ 07:04AM PT
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Here are some excerpts from a paper I did for a grad. communication class that may provide insights into this topic:

"Myers (2001) asserts that computerized networks do alter the nature of social movements, mainly through the speed and ease of information transfer. Bennett (2003) contends that digital media have altered social justice activism in more significant ways, such as developing broader, more loosely structured networks of activists that respond to frequently emerging issue campaigns.

     "Tesh (2002) acknowledges greater access to information and enhanced communication with current and potential members through the Internet, but notes the limitations of the Internet alone. She suggests that in-person means of activism, such as attending public hearings on proposed new regulations, are still important means of energizing current members and attracting new ones (Tesh, 2002). However, issue campaigns can use the Internet to organize in-person methods of activism, such as public demonstrations, that are greater in both the number of participants and locations than previously (Bennett, 2003; Boyd, 2003).

     "Resulting mainstream media coverage (Quick, 1997; Boyd, 2003; Packer, 2003) of these collective action events (i.e., protests, boycotts, and strikes) may contribute to a sense of collective agency (Gamson, 1992), which promotes engagement in activism. Media coverage of Internet-based social movement organizations (SMOs), such as MoveOn, increases their audience (Hara & Estrada, 2005; Ryan, et al., 1998), which could increase membership.

     "Unfortunately, the methods of Internet-assisted communication have not been systematically studied as potential contributors to social movements (Earl, 2006; Myers, 2001). The literature regarding social activism consists primarily of conceptual development (Chadwick, 2006; Tesh, 2002; Bennett; 2003) or case studies, either specifically regarding online activism (Hara & Estrada, 2005; Vegh, 2003) or regarding social activism in general (Reese & Newcombe, 2003; McCaffrey & Keyes, 2000; King & Ramasubramanian, 1999). ...

"Vegh (2003) observes that the most successful online advocacy campaigns seem to be those that combine various techniques of mobilization and lobbying. The results of the present study suggest that state-based social justice organizations do use a variety of tactics on their web sites to promote activism, but they tend to focus more on mobilizing consensus with their cause than transforming consensus into action."

Posted by Betsy Foss-Campbell on 06/07/2009 @ 04:28PM PT
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Great post. I think it is important to be aware of the possibility of becoming a "passivist" because of technology- but i think the online tools enhance activism for those who are already engaged in other ways AND offer an low-barrier entry into issue activism for others.

Online media also offers opportunities to reach outside of the mainstream media which is a priceless resource.

However, I do think a lot of young(ish) people who are transient, may reach for their laptops when they get into a new city rather than knocking on their neighbors door. Not to harp on any golden age of "perfect neighborhoods", but I do think we are all losing out with less local communication. On the flip side, some social networking entreprenuers are trying to fix just that- like the site http://www.neighborsforneighbors.org

Posted by Liz Roy on 06/07/2009 @ 07:22PM PT
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I agree that it offers a low-barrier entry to activism. I started blogging about health-care issues because I was frustrated with my own inability to get treatment.

At first, I intended to write only about my own experiences and provide a few tips for others grappling with being uninsured. But through my blog (http://illinillinois.blogspot.com) and others', as well as Twitter (http://twitter.com/illil), I've become much more of an activist for reform, somethiing my health would never have permitted in person.

My influence may be minor, but it's better than none at all.

Posted by Ill and Uninsured in Illinois on 06/07/2009 @ 11:52PM PT
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Nice post.

I've had similar conversations with elected official's staffers (Charles Wrangle D-NY) for instance, who say they don't value e-mails very highly, and form e-mails even less.

I think this is kind of unfortunate. I really think they should be counting these thing equally, and weighing them accordingly. Technology just makes things that you would do anyways quicker and easier. It seems odd to me that if you spend 20 minutes to write a letter or jump through hoops faxing things over numerous, it should be worth more.

Maybe I'm a bit of a technocrat, but I think these digital means of democracy are a good tool to poll the populace and see what they really care about, rather than letting professional and well-funded lobbyists get all the attention. I just don't think that 'more time consuming' is equal to 'more important', when it comes to voicing your opinion.

Posted by Michael Paone on 06/08/2009 @ 10:10AM PT
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Great discussion of an issue that needs more consideration. Would love to hear from congressional staffers (or their bosses) on what makes effective communication with legislators.

My Congressman recently lamented that they received "so many" messages about the homeless definition issue (which he, um, voted against expanding) that their office was overwhelmed.

I was esctatic, he was befuddled. Hmmm...

Thanks for all the quality info and thoughts!

Posted by HEAR US on 06/08/2009 @ 12:40PM PT
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Yes, politicians would lament that it's now easier for their constituents to tell them what they think of them!

I do wonder how much attention Congress pays to email, tweets and other techie communications. I get form letters back from some, at least. Roland Burris said he was getting "an average of 10,000 letters and emails a week." Ill. State Rep. Elaine Nekritz responded with status on the bill I had written in support of.

Sen. Chris Dodd is currently soliciting ideas on health-care reform and votes on them via a YouTube channel and Google Moderator (http://illinillinois.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-chris-dodd-to-support-single-payer.html). Having gotten responses, will he pay attention to them?

Posted by Ill and Uninsured in Illinois on 06/08/2009 @ 06:08PM PT
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Sorry, that link was: http://illinillinois.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-chris-dodd-to-support-single-payer.html

Posted by Ill and Uninsured in Illinois on 06/08/2009 @ 06:09PM PT
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To further this discussion, if anyone is still tracking it, here's an interesting blog from the Kenneth Cole Awearness blog on the subject of tech-communications and the effect on compassion/action. http://awearnessblog.com/2009/07/not-complete-the-twitter-effec.php

Posted by HEAR US on 07/04/2009 @ 09:19AM PT
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Author

Diane Nilan, founder and president of HEAR US Inc., has over 23 years experience working impoverished and homeless families. Since 2005, Nilan’s cross-country journey to non-urban communities has focused on poverty and homelessness, particularly as it affects invisible families and teens. She filmed the award-winning series of documentaries, My Own Four Walls, children and youth sharing how homelessness affects their lives and their education. Her reader-friendly book, “Crossing the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness,” gives unique insights into homelessness. Her latest production, “REACH” empowers incarcerated parents to advocate for their homeless children’s educational rights.